I have so much to tell you about today! This past Tuesday I had the opportunity to take part in a photo shoot courtesy of Don Porter photography. It was such an amazing experience! Don was great, especially considering that he had much of his equipment stolen a few days earlier and had to go buy equipment specifically for this shoot. He was a true professional.

The shoot was to showcase pieces from designer, Minh Le's collection. I got to experience the creative styling process first hand -and even help out with it a little bit! I worked with Minh Le and our wardrobe stylist, Zach, going through her garments -she brought 25 pieces!- and styling the models. They were both so kind and pleasant to be around. I felt like I was working with friends as opposed to people who had just met.

As for the pieces themselves, they were stunning! Minh incorporates a lot of rich colors; golden tones, deep greens, blacks, maroons, and even some coral tones as well. She also uses many different textures and silhouettes. They were absolutely stunning!

I was able to get some behind the scenes shots of the actual shoot. The models looked gorgeous and they were all very nice. I had a great time talking with them as well. There was so much creative energy around that day, it was inspiring!

This shoot is going to be featured in an upcoming issue of the magazine, Charlotte Girl. I'll be sure to share it with you when it comes out!

Thanks so much for reading and a special thanks to Don Porter for the opportunity to be a part of the shoot!

Ohmygosh, what a busy but wonderful week it has been! So many great things took place, I just got back from the beach for my best friend's wedding -it was so great! I cannot wait to share more with you later this week! For today's post I wanted to keep things relatively simple. I cannot get enough of the bell sleeve, LOFT top. It is cool, comfy, and the sleeves are... just... everything! I love details like this. The added character and charm these details add really speak to me!

I want to keep this post a little shorter than usual. Being a fashion blogger, of course I want to incorporate fashion into the post. But I feel like I need to address the anger that has taken place this past week in Charlotte. I followed the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman trial religiously almost, and the verdict really felt wrong to me. It was basically the same in many, many other cases: Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Jordan Davis, Renisha McBride, Sandra Bland, Tamir Rice, Philando Castile, Alton Sterling, and most recently, Terence Crutcher and Keith Lamont Scott. It certainly hurts more when you feel for the victims, support the Black Lives Matter movement, and then see the rioting and looting happening in your own city. At least for me it does. Black Lives Matter already gets a biased rep. And for the record I want to say, that of course all lives matter, of course. In my mind, Black Lives Matter is the loss of black lives, at the hands of police, that seemingly go un punished. There seems to be no justice for those lives lost.

Thus the feeling that their lives do not matter.

But it goes farther back than that, which I did not really understand until the last few years. I cannot and don't want to speak for either side, because that is the root of the problem. Taking sides. Those sides need to come together and I know that is a long, complicated road, but I do believe it is possible. I believe the peaceful protests are a step in the right direction. Black Lives Matter is a huge step in the right direction. But it will take time and everyone making an effort to understand each other.

Just love each other or, at the very least, respect each other. Think about how you would want to be treated or how you would want your child or loved one to be treated.

Thank you for reading and listening to my rant. I love my city, but I also love and believe in people. A solution is possible. It just takes time, love, and understanding.

Hope you are all well! I'm still embracing the transition to Autumn, while trying to be comfortable. Its not always easy. That is when layering comes in handy! I found this lovely vest at Francesca's maybe a year ago (give or take) and I love it! Its light weight and easy to style. It also has a unique silhouette. I've tied it in the front several times but I have also styled it by tying it in the back as well. That is also a lovely look!

I paired it with shorts and a lacey crop top for built in ventilation! Plus, the contrast between the lace and the khaki is unique.

This weekend I will be packing up and heading to the beach for my best friends' wedding! I can't wait to share pictures and maybe a beach blog post with you! ;) Thanks for reading!

I found this skirt and top both at GAP a year or so ago. I actually bought them separately but I was curious as to how they would like paired together. I experimented with layering the top over the skirt but I preferred it tucked in ultimately. The different colors of stripes are similar enough to flow perfectly, creating a unique look. -An optical illusion of sorts! ;)

Throw in a little pop of color to anchor the look and voila! Creative, fun, chic, and effortless!

I LOVE this look. A little bit tough chick, while still feminine and chic! Once again I styled the Alloy exaggerated necklace underneath the shirt to obtain that peek-a-boo effect.

The necklace is so stunning and easy takes any look to the next level.

Thanks for reading and here are a few more treasures from Newchic.com that I have my eye on! Hopefully you can find some goodies too! =) Using the code: ARRIANA can save you 20% on your order! Enjoy! =)

Today is another post from Newchic.com! This -in my opinion- is a killer combination! Although at first glance it looks relatively simple, there is actually a lot going on here.

The dramatic contrast between the deep teal of the skirt and the crisp white of the blouse. I love this contrast! In my opinion it is very sophisticated/polished. Then there is the more subtle contrast in the materials -which is harder to see in the pictures. The Newchic skirt is a pleather material, while the blouse is a light, airy linen. It is the best of both worlds as we begin the transition into Autumn.

I also love the peek-a-boo effect of the statement necklace underneath the blouse! =)

Have a great day and thank you for reading!

XOXO

Top:: VersonaSkirt:: ﻿Newchic.comNecklace:: Newchic.comAnd because the links in the last post didn't work -I apologize for that!- here is the link for the dress as well:: Newchic.com

I want also mention that you can still save an extra 20% on your order when you use the code: ARRIANA